A former standout for the UCLA men’s basketball team will not be pursuing a professional career.
Ex-UCLA point guard Donovan Dent is retiring from the sport at age 22, he told the Albuquerque Journal this week. Dent said that he now plans to return to his home in New Mexico and become a personal trainer for youth basketball players, including hosting clinics.
The 6-foot-2 Dent played his first three collegiate seasons at the University of New Mexico. He was the Mountain West Player of the Year as well as an Honorable Mention All-American as a junior in 2025 after leading the conference with 20.4 points per game.
Dent then decided to transfer to UCLA for his senior year in 2025-26. He was a standout for the Bruins all throughout the season, averaging 13.3 points, 7.6 assists, and 1.7 steals per game.
The former California Mr. Basketball Dent had his most memorable moment at UCLA during a game against No. 10 seed Illinois in February. Dent went coast-to-coast for the game-winning layup, Tyus Edney style, to give the Bruins an upset 95-94 victory as time expired.
Donovan Dent just did his best Tyus Edney impression to stun No. 10 Illinois in OT pic.twitter.com/EXuu6AquIE
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 22, 2026
Most talent evaluators had pegged Dent as a possible second-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft. But instead, Dent is calling it a career and following in the footsteps of this other 22-year-old athlete who just decided to retire too.
